New vehicle designs may be powered, at least part of the time, with electrical energy. These new vehicle designs may include electric vehicles (EVs) that rely solely on electrical energy—typically from batteries—to power electric motors that supply torque to a set of drive wheels. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) may alternately use an electric motor or an internal combustion gasoline engine to propel the vehicle. HEVs may switch between the electric motor and the internal combustion gasoline engine depending on a variety of factors or conditions including desired fuel economy.
EVs and HEVs include one or more rechargeable high voltage batteries to store and deliver the substantial electrical energy necessary to drive the electric motor that, in turn, drives the vehicle's wheels to displace the vehicle.